Date of Award

Summer 8-17-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

Department

Psychology

Language

English

First Advisor

Yu Gao

Abstract

This study examined relationships among cognitive ability, emotion dysregulation, physiological regulation, and antisocial behavior. Participants were 340 children ages 7-10. Caregivers reported on emotion regulation, aggression, and delinquency, and children completed cognitive assessments. Intellectual profiles were classified as even or uneven. No significant differences in aggression or delinquency were found between intellectual profiles. Emotion Regulation Checklist scores mediated relationships between VIQ and both aggression and delinquency. Resting RSA mediated the relationship between VIQ and delinquency, although the indirect effect was small, whereas RSA reactivity did not mediate either outcome. Overall, findings suggest that emotion regulation may be a more consistent pathway linking verbal cognitive ability to antisocial behavior than physiological regulation.

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS